Bus operating companies are urging ministers to add congestion charge zones in towns and cities to meet climate change goals.
The Telegraph reports they suggest a £7 daily charge, imposed on motorists across parts of the country, as part of a package of “carrot and stick” measures to make buses more attractive.
It says he report that it has seen concludes that current policy will increase uptake of buses among passengers by 10% by 2050, but to meet climate change goals bus use must rise by 79%, according to the analysis, meaning “It means that “radical interventions” are needed to fill the gap.
The Telegraph says the report focusses on discouraging the use of cars as one of three interventions needed, with 75% of local traffic hit by a congestion charge under the analysis’s “high scenario”, raising an estimated £17bn-a-year that can be invested in “increasing the attractiveness of the bus network”.
Other policies include a “bus bonus”, a salary-sacrifice scheme where employers can purchase a voucher that can be used by staff to buy travelcards or credit up to the value of £800-a-year, while a £2 cap on bus fares in the long-term is also proposed.
(Picture – First Bus)
